456 Gunnar Landtman. 



H. In this version the people Iriecl in vain to catch the snake's head in a snare. Tlic woman 

 died and was buried witln the snake still insida her, but next night the reptile came out, and her 

 belly shrunk in, for in the morning the people saw that the ground had sunk on that spot. 

 (Ganâme, Ipisia). 



I. There is also a story telling how a boy once happened to swallow a small snake in his 

 drinking vi'ater. It grew very large and his heliy swelled out. Shortly afterwards the bov died. 

 (Säibu, Mawata). 



MAIGIDUBU, THE SNAKE-MAN WHO PROTECTS WOMEN (ef Index). 



414. A certain woman in pregnancy was once catching fish by herself when she felt 

 that her cielivery was close at hand. She thought, „I can't born pickaninny along ground; by- 

 and-by soiTie snake come catch me," so she climbed a tree and constructed a small shelter for 

 herself, and there she bore a boy. Her blood ran down the trunk of the tree till it reached the 

 ground, and the smell attracted the attention of a large snake Màigidùbu by name, who was also 

 a man and li\-ed in the neighbourhood. He lifted his head and sniffed, and after locating the 

 direction where the smeli came from he .started to crawl along, scenting out the right way. On 

 reaching the tree he began to climb up. and the terrified woman cried out her husband's name 

 and lamented, „That snake he come kill me now right up !" But her husband who was far 

 away did not hear. When Mdigidübu was close up to her he opened his mouth and said, „You 

 come, my girl, 1 no snake, you no fright along me. I no go kill you, I take you down, I take 

 you go along my place. \'ou put pickaninny along my mouth first before you come seif." And 

 the woman flrst placed her baby and then herself in the reptile's mouth. The snake who was 

 as large as a coconut tree carried the two to his abode. On arriving at his house v\hich was 

 like that of ordinary people he opened his mouth, and the woman came out first. „You put him 

 hand close to my mouth," saii.1 the snake, „pickaninny he come, you catch him;" and the woman 

 received her child. She thought to hei'self, „Oh, that man no got no woman, he stop one man 

 (alone). What's way (how) he make him thnt house, he got no hand?" For she thought that 

 he was a real snake. 



After the woman had disappeared her husband, whose name was Rôropidji, went to 

 search for lier cverywhere but could not Hnd her. In the end he married another woman. 



Måigidubu said to the woman, „Plenty banana, taro here, you go take kaikai. You give 

 that pickaninny, 1 look out (after)." And the woman handed him the child and went to letch 

 the food. She prepared a meal and gave some food to the snake, but he said, „^'ou no give me 

 much, you give llttle bit, you kaikai along j^ou (your) pickaninny." 



In the night Måigidubu went out in search for game and killed a nuinber of pigs and 

 kangaroo by coiling himself round them and crushing them, and then he swallowed them up and 

 carried thein home. There he brought forth the animais, and placed them close to the house. 

 He .said to the woman, „Come on, my girl, eut my pig, you give me thing belong belly (the 

 intestines). You kaikai proper meat along you boy, I want fecd you," She cooked the meat in 

 the earth-oven, and when it was ready she brought some to the snake, but he said, „No, no, 



Toni. XLVII, 



